The invention relates to a stacking apparatus for stacking value documents, such as bank notes, checks, vouchers, tickets, cards, as well as a value-document processing apparatus comprising such a stacking apparatus and a method for stacking the value documents with the help of the stacking apparatus.
In value-document processing apparatuses in which the value documents are transported at high transport velocity, stacking wheels for stacking the value documents are usually used which have sheet slots distributed over the circumference for receiving respectively one value document to be stacked. The sheet slots in the stacking wheel have a substantially spiral-shaped pattern. With regard to small value-document processing apparatuses, such stacking wheels are disadvantageous because of their large space requirements.
Further known is the stacking of value documents to a deposit means without the aid of a stacking wheel. Here, the value documents are continued to be moved from the transport path until they leave the engagement of the transport elements, e.g. transport rollers, and then on account of the gravitational force fall on the deposit means below or into a value-document cassette. Where applicable, a pusher is employed for actively pressing down the value document in the direction of the deposit means. Disadvantageous with such stacking apparatuses is the fact that they are suitable only for low transport velocities. When increasing the transport velocity, the quality of the deposited value-document stack deteriorates considerably.